Salvinia
Freshwater areas' next big battle has arrived
Giant and common salvinia have been invading and smothering LA’s freshwater habitats since the 1980s. Lately, however, salvinia was found a few hundred yards from the Gulf of Mexico. This is unusual in that saltwater has always been one of the anecdotes for salvinia. The cause of this invasion is a direct result of BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster. Dramatically lowering the salinity levels in the southern end of the system opened the door for a wave of non-native plants to take up residence. Full article.
Dangerous South American weed threatening fish, clogging LA waterways
Robert Barham, the head of the LA Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries recently noted that Salvinia, (Salvinia molesta), a floating invader from South America is clogging Louisiana's waterways and threatening fish at a rate faster than the state can fight it. Found first in Louisiana at Toledo Bend, it has now spread to lakes and rivers across the state and is threatening Shreveport's water supply. Full Article.
